• If you haven’t heard of Close it’s a coming-of-age film about “two teenage boys whose close friendship is thrown into disarray when their schoolmates notice their intimacy, causing a rift between them.” It’s been highly regarded critically, winning the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival, amongst many other nominations and prizes.

    Old friend of TFIB Matt Lyon, an illustrator based just outside of London, has created a sublime poster for the movie, drawing on the visuals of flowers that permeate the film. I love Matt’s use of halftones and textures, as well as his unexpected twist of racking the focus of the flowers to bring in some interesting depth to the piece. And that color palette (which is a signature of Matt’s work tbh) that really works so well here. Incredible work.

    Close film poster illustration by Matt Lyon
  • The folks at Studio MPLS are always up to something cool, creating some of the most striking branding and packaging designs out there. For example, their work for River St. Joe is one of my favorite projects, ever. Most recently, they released new work for Sola Coffee Co, a coffee shop opening soon in the northern part of Minnesota.

    The system they built for the brand seems pretty flexible, utilizing either three or four typefaces (and some varying weights) and a seven color palette, which they’re able to bend in a number of directions. I’m such a fan of a type-based design systems, and I think they’ve made a lot of smart choices with the contrast between each. Just enough personality and quirk to be ownable without feeling whacky (in a bad way, whacky can be great). Most importantly, in my opinion, is it’s sense of timelessness. I write about this a lot and I do think it’s a good marker of strong design, especially in regards to product packaging and identity.

    Sola Coffee Co branding and packaging by Studio MPLS
    Sola Coffee Co branding and packaging by Studio MPLS
    Sola Coffee Co branding and packaging by Studio MPLS
    Sola Coffee Co branding and packaging by Studio MPLS
  • Throughout time, flowers and plants have inspired artists from all genres and cultures. Currently on view at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York is LUSH, a group show curated by Jennifer Rizzo inspired by flowers. Featuring over three dozen artists, the exhibit features contemporary takes on the timeless inspiration of florals. The work is really diverse, lots of different styles and unique takes. If you’re in NYC you should pop by and take a look.

    Cha Yuree, Bundle, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Casey Gray, Still Life with Flowers, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Annie Duncan, Looking Glass, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Zack Rosebrugh, Imagine Still Life, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
  • I discovered Morano, a small ceramic goods company here in Spain who create very eye-catching pots and plates. They create A Funky Candle, which as they describe, smells like “an echo of a fun dinner party at home, where perfumes merge together creating a special ambiance full of different hues. Cognac and vanilla with a spicy twist, this candle will get you in the mood for a cozy night in.” I’m totally sold. How cute is the glazing too? I love how unique the patterns turn out.

    A Funky Candle by Morana, handmade in Spain
  • As climate change continues to wreak havoc (while very little is being done about it) artists have continued to try and raise awareness and stir action in unique ways. Temperature Textiles is a project by Raw Color which takes climate data and translates it into knit blankets and socks, bringing the data into our every day lives.

    “Temperature Textiles range from knitted blankets, to scarves and socks and are designed to carry climate data and to provide warmth to the user. The manifested data shows three main drivers and results of Global Warming. These can be identified as Temperature Change, Sea Level Rise and Emission.”

    Temperature Textiles, a climate change project by Raw Color


    I think the project is gorgeous to look at, though it does feel a bit capitalistic at the same time. Is making a series of lifestyle products the way to get corporations to care about climate change? Will it even matter in the end? I’m not really sure! I guess it’s better to try and do something than nothing at all?

    Temperature Textiles, a climate change project by Raw Color
    Temperature Textiles, a climate change project by Raw Color
    Temperature Textiles, a climate change project by Raw Color
  • Artist Miya Ando has created an installation in New York City that uses 72 cloth banners to draw attention to the shift in traditional Japanese seasons caused by climate change. The large-scale banners represent one of the 72 seasons in the Japanese Kō calendar, which was initially developed in the 7th century. Unlike the standard Western calendar, the Kō calendar responds more closely to the natural environment by breaking the 365-day year into seasons of around five days each. The installation aims to highlight the micro-seasons lost to climate change and raise awareness of the impact of climate change on traditional Japanese culture.

    “I’m hoping that the public art can serve a function — even just if this calendar exists,” she said. “In the past 100 years, and 1 to 2 degrees of the earth heating up, the planting system is completely off. Geese don’t fly back, frogs don’t sing when they’re supposed to sing. [The Kõ calendar is] a really, really good data source because it’s collected with eyes and real people.…For me, it’s data and information being put forth that is more easily digestible.”

    You can experience the installation at Brookfield Place until September 14.

    Flower Atlas installation by Miya Ando, Brookfield Place
    Flower Atlas installation by Miya Ando, Brookfield Place
    Flower Atlas installation by Miya Ando, Brookfield Place
  • This past weekend, I had the pleasure of experiencing acclaimed Japanese DJ Soichi Terada perform here in Barcelona at SoundIt. His signature style of house music is inflected with city pop has a feeling like Studio Ghibli showing up to the rave. There’s a joyousness and spontaneity to his performances, such as playing a handheld synth, and jumping up on stage to lead the audience in simple dance moves. The music is still banging though, every couple of minutes transitioning to something unexpected. Honestly, it was one of the best DJ performances I’ve seen in a long time.

    Soichi Terada, Japanese house music DJ
  • While I was visiting Cadaqués a few weeks ago I made a stop by the home of Salvador Dalí, located in Portlligat. He first moved in around 1930, when it was a small fisherman’s shack right near the beach. Over the next forty years though, he began to purchase the surrounding properties, eventually building himself quite an idyllic compound where he could paint and and hold exquisite parties.

    It was interesting to look around the space he and his wife Gala had created together. I didn’t quite know what to expect as his work is quite surreal. In reality though, I found the space quite interesting and beautiful in a sort of hodge-podge kind of way. They had many fascinating belongings, and ultimately, created a very idyllic getaway to live their lives along the peaceful seaside. I hope you enjoy this little tour of things I found interesting in their space.

  • I was walking home from the beach this afternoon, through Badalona, when this doorway caught my eye. First, there’s something about the light, the way the trees shadows dapple along the front. Then there’s the extra elements, like the crumpled cardboard box in the bottom left corner, the red graffiti, the pop of blue sky in the top right corner. It all came together in such a beautiful way.

  • A new offering from Counter-Print popped into my inbox and it is right up my alley. It’s called Optic, which takes a look at the field of Op Art, surveying optical effects in graphic design and to help distinguish their various forms.

    In ‘Optic,’ we delve into the mesmerizing realm of optical illusions, highlighting their impact on graphic design. The book is divided into sections such as Periodic Structures, Interrupted Systems, Relief, Impossible Objects, Diffusion, Illusory Contours, Figure-ground, Proximity and Isometric Illusion. Each section showcases the unique forms and techniques employed by talented designers to create breathtaking visual experiences.

    New Book 'Optic', Explores the Use of Optical Effects in Graphic Design
    New Book 'Optic', Explores the Use of Optical Effects in Graphic Design
  • There’s something so wonderful about the carefree illustrations of Tokyo-based illustrator Nori Okawa. To me, I see a spontaneous mixture of manga and pop art combined into some new form of expression. It’s zany and over-the-top, yes there’s something to these pieces that keeps drawing me in, I keep seeing more details and nuances that I missed in my first impression. I wish I had a giant, painted version of one of the pieces below hanging on the walls of my apartment.

    Nori Okawa
    Nori Okawa
    Nori Okawa
    Nori Okawa
  • I’m such a fan of Salman Toor, I’ve written about his work many times at this point, and so I was happy to see that Art21 had created a video interview with him. Before this, I hadn’t actually seen Toor speaking, and it was fascinating getting to see him exist, and hear him talk about his work. He captures such an interesting world of queer friendships, as well as the stresses and anxieties of being queer in such a turbulent time in the US. Anyhow, I really like being able to see a glimpse behind the curtain of creatives and this is a really lovely profile.